For a number of years, the Seattle fantasy defense was one of the first ones selected. Especially in leagues where points allowed is important, considering that four years in a row (2012-2015), it led the league in fewest points allowed. It wasn't always a great fantasy defense in sack- and turnover-based scoring systems (13th or worse in three of those years), but it wouldn't hurt you.
But the downturn has come, and it will probably slip more in 2018. Seattle ranked 3rd in points allowed in 2016, but just 14th a year ago. A rebuild is underway, both by choice (Seattle traded defensive end Michael Bennett to Philadelphia, released Richard Sherman and has apparently shopped Earl Thomas), and otherwise.
Kam Chancellor has essentially announced his retirement; he's not going to get cleared to return from his neck injury. That's three-quarters of the Legion of Boom gone in one offseason.
Partly due to age and also to injury, it's a group that's been in decline for a little while. That's been most apparent in terms of interceptions. Back in 2013, Seattle led the league with 28, and that was their third straight top-10 finish. but they've now finished outside the top 12 in each of the last four seasons.
Looked at in those terms, Seattle's moves to break up its secondary don't look quite so rash. Maybe these are moves that could have been made a little sooner.
Over the last four years, this has been a bottom-12 defense in terms of interceptions; just 13 per season over that span. Quite a dropoff.
INTERCEPTIONS, 2014-2017 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Tot |
Cincinnati | 20 | 21 | 17 | 11 | 69 |
Buffalo | 19 | 17 | 12 | 18 | 66 |
Arizona | 18 | 19 | 14 | 15 | 66 |
Carolina | 14 | 24 | 17 | 10 | 65 |
Philadelphia | 12 | 15 | 16 | 19 | 62 |
Kansas City | 6 | 22 | 18 | 16 | 62 |
Green Bay | 18 | 16 | 17 | 11 | 62 |
NY Giants | 17 | 15 | 17 | 13 | 62 |
Detroit | 20 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 58 |
Baltimore | 11 | 6 | 18 | 22 | 57 |
Pittsburgh | 11 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 57 |
Denver | 18 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 56 |
Houston | 20 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 56 |
Tampa Bay | 14 | 11 | 17 | 13 | 55 |
LA Rams | 13 | 13 | 10 | 18 | 54 |
LA Chargers | 7 | 11 | 18 | 18 | 54 |
Minnesota | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 54 |
New England | 16 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 53 |
Miami | 14 | 13 | 16 | 9 | 52 |
San Francisco | 23 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 52 |
Seattle | 13 | 14 | 11 | 14 | 52 |
Atlanta | 16 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 51 |
New Orleans | 12 | 9 | 9 | 20 | 50 |
Indianapolis | 12 | 17 | 8 | 13 | 50 |
Cleveland | 21 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 49 |
Washington | 7 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 47 |
Tennessee | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 47 |
Dallas | 18 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 45 |
Oakland | 9 | 14 | 16 | 5 | 44 |
Jacksonville | 6 | 9 | 7 | 21 | 43 |
NY Jets | 6 | 18 | 8 | 11 | 43 |
Chicago | 14 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 38 |
As for Seattle's pass rush, that will also take a hit with the trade of Bennett. He's averaged close to 8 sacks over the last five seasons with the team (39 total). That hasn't really been a dominant group either (just one top-10 finish in those same four seasons). But it seems likely to miss Bennett, who it sounds like was traded for other reasons (including financial) than any declining ability. A loss for a slightly above-average pass rush.
SACKS, 2014-2017 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Tot |
Carolina | 40 | 44 | 47 | 50 | 181 |
Pittsburgh | 33 | 48 | 38 | 56 | 175 |
Jacksonville | 45 | 36 | 33 | 55 | 169 |
Denver | 41 | 52 | 42 | 33 | 168 |
New England | 40 | 49 | 34 | 42 | 165 |
Minnesota | 41 | 43 | 41 | 37 | 162 |
Green Bay | 41 | 43 | 40 | 37 | 161 |
Tennessee | 39 | 39 | 40 | 43 | 161 |
LA Rams | 40 | 41 | 31 | 48 | 160 |
Baltimore | 49 | 37 | 31 | 41 | 158 |
Philadelphia | 49 | 37 | 34 | 38 | 158 |
Arizona | 35 | 36 | 48 | 37 | 156 |
Washington | 37 | 38 | 38 | 42 | 155 |
Seattle | 37 | 37 | 42 | 39 | 155 |
Chicago | 39 | 35 | 37 | 42 | 153 |
Kansas City | 46 | 47 | 28 | 31 | 152 |
Houston | 38 | 45 | 31 | 32 | 146 |
Detroit | 42 | 42 | 26 | 35 | 145 |
Buffalo | 54 | 21 | 39 | 27 | 141 |
NY Jets | 45 | 39 | 27 | 28 | 139 |
New Orleans | 34 | 31 | 30 | 42 | 137 |
LA Chargers | 26 | 32 | 35 | 43 | 136 |
Cincinnati | 20 | 42 | 33 | 41 | 136 |
Tampa Bay | 36 | 38 | 38 | 22 | 134 |
Indianapolis | 41 | 35 | 33 | 25 | 134 |
Dallas | 28 | 31 | 36 | 38 | 133 |
Miami | 39 | 31 | 33 | 30 | 133 |
NY Giants | 47 | 23 | 35 | 27 | 132 |
San Francisco | 36 | 28 | 33 | 30 | 127 |
Cleveland | 31 | 29 | 26 | 34 | 120 |
Oakland | 22 | 38 | 25 | 31 | 116 |
Atlanta | 22 | 19 | 34 | 39 | 114 |
--Andy Richardson